[Watch] Dinesh Chandimal cracks 5 consecutive boundaries off Chamika Karunaratne in CLS vs KAF LPL 2024 match
Veteran Sri Lankan and Kandy Falcons batter Dinesh Chandimal slammed five boundaries off Chamika Karunaratne's over during the Lanka Premier League (LPL) fixture against Colombo Strikers on Tuesday. The pacer conceded five consecutive boundaries as he struggled to contain his line and length.
The incident occurred in the sixth over of the innings as captain Thisara Perera decided to bring in Karunaratne into the attack. The first delivery went through the covers, while Chandimal pulled the second over square leg. The keeper-batter cut the third through point and sent the following delivery over cover. Chandimal sent the second-last delivery over cover as well to collect 20 off the over.
At the end of the powerplay, Falcons were at 66-1. Glenn Phillips got the better of Chandimal in the eighth over as the veteran holed out to long on for 38 off 26 deliveries.
Shadab Khan's hat-trick overshadows Dinesh Chandimal's exploits:
With the Falcons chasing 199 for victory, Chandimal and Andre Fletcher gave them a decent start. However, their middle-order batters crumbled under pressure. Wanindu Hasaranga and Angelo Mathews played cameos of 25 runs each, but the Falcons needed more from them.
Shadab Khan, who struggled in the T20 World Cup 2024, finished as the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4-0-22-4, including a hat-trick. He dismissed Hasaranga, Agha Salman, and Pavan Rathnayake off the last three deliveries of the 15th over. Dunith Wellalage also picked up four scalps, including two in the 16th over, as the Falcons were bowled out for 147 in 15.5 overs.
The Strikers' steep total of 198/7 came on the back of vital contributions from Muhammad Waseem, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Perera, Shadab, and Karunaratne. Kandy are the defending champions, having beaten Dambulla Aura in the 2023 edition's final.
The tournament opened with Kandy defeating Dambulla Sixers as Chandimal blasted a 40-ball 65 in pursuit of 180. Dasun Shanaka played an equally important role with a 15-ball 46.